Sunday 26 April 2026

An update from SWF Health & Social Care Group

Some items have been Updated and along with a few new items come first.

What did you think about the English Resident Doctors strike which took place straight after the long Easter weekend? Did they have your support?

Measles outbreak of highly contagious disease, in north London. Most cases are in schools and nurseries; some children require hospital treatment, “particularly those not immunised”. Outbreaks spread easily and Essex is close by. Parents should get children vaccinated and check children’s vaccination status.  Between 1 January and 13 April 2026 407 measles cases have been confirmed in England, 36 more since 10 April, mostly driven by the North London outbreak. The blog: “What are the symptoms of measles and how can I best protect my child?” is updated.  

A&E waiting times have fallen to a five-year low. There were a record breaking 2.43m total A&E attendances in March – 16,000 more than the previous record high in May 2024. Despite the bumper demand, almost four in five patients arriving in A&E were seen within four hours (77.1%) – the best performance since July 2021. The record-breaking month was driven in part following reports of the meningitis outbreak in Canterbury, which saw a marked increase in demand.

At the end of February, 62.6% of patients were waiting under 18 weeks, up 1.1 percentage points on January 2026. The NHS continues to progress towards the target of 65% of patients treated within 18 weeks. The total waiting list decreased to 7.22 million in February 2026, with a decrease of 31,006 compared to January 2026 and more than 400,000 compared to July 2024.

80.5% of patients with suspected cancer received a diagnosis, or had cancer ruled out, within 28 days in February – the highest proportion in NHS history. In total, 208,293 patients received a result in the month. Ambulance response times for the most serious incidents, such as suspected heart attacks and strokes, were also the fastest in almost five years, averaging 26:18 in March — the best performance since May 2021. The NHS also carried out a record 29,863,709 tests and checks between March 2025 and February 2026, over one million more than the previous year.

Hay fever sufferers must now put up with symptoms for up to two weeks longer than they would have done in the 1990s, according to a major review. 65 scientists from around the world found that climate change has “prolonged the pollen season”. The fine powder released by certain grasses, trees and plants can cause chaos for those who are allergic, with itchy eyes, sneezing and headaches all common symptoms. Early summer is often peak pollen season, when the number of grains of pollen in the air multiplies. The warm weather seen in the UK over the last two years means conditions have been ideal for birch tree pollen – a major hay fever trigger. Warm, dry days help spread pollen through the air, creating what’s been dubbed a “pollen bomb”. “While for some their symptoms can be mild, for many their hay fever symptoms impacts their quality of life,” says Allergy UK. “It can mean missed days at work, poor sleep and, for some teenagers and young people, active hay fever symptoms can mean they drop an academic grade in their exams.” Pollen can also trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions in people living with other respiratory conditions. “If people are allergic to pollen, it can inflame their airways and cause terrifying breathing conditions, which can lead to life-threatening asthma attacks and COPD flare-ups,” says Asthma and Lung UK. Allergy expert Professor Stephen Till recommends “a cocktail approach” of taking:

• antihistamine tablets or drops that don’t tend to make you feel sleepy and are long acting
• a steroid nasal spray, and
• eye drops

These products can all be bought over the counter in your local chemist. Pollen sits on your face and arms when you go outside, so have a shower and change your clothes when you come in.”

Pets are “brilliant vehicles” for bringing pollen into homes.

The NHS also recommends:

• putting nasal balm or petroleum jelly around your nostrils to trap pollen
• wearing sunglasses, a mask or a wide-brimmed sun hat to stop pollen getting into your nose and eyes
• vacuuming and dusting your home regularly
• trying out a pollen filter in the air vents of your car

Also, try to avoid:

• cut grass or walking on grass
• keeping fresh flowers in the house
• smoking or being around smokers
• drying clothes outside.

A new UKHSA study shows the maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme is providing over 80% protection for newborn infants, including those born prematurely. The study found vaccination at least 2 weeks before the birth gave 81.3% protection. A narrow range of statistical uncertainty, 78.9% to 83.4%, means there is high confidence in the protective effect of the vaccine.  The study also found that premature babies, who are particularly vulnerable to RSV, can be well protected, provided there is at least 2 weeks between vaccination and birth. Maternal RSV vaccine uptake in England continues to climb with the latest data showing uptake rising to 64.1% for women who gave birth in November 2025.

The Inquiry into the deaths in Essex of thousands of mental health patients is to “refocus” in response to “emerging evidence” and “ongoing issues” around the Essex Partnership NHS Trust (EPUT)’s engagement with the process. Baroness Lampard, who chairs the Inquiry, said July’s hearings could result in her making interim recommendations. EPUT said balancing the “scale and complexity” of providing information to the Inquiry with the demands of running a large mental health trust was “challenging”. Baroness Lampard said that, subject to what she hears this summer, she would “not hesitate to make interim recommendations for change”.

The new NHS Online hospital launches in 2027, but what is it and how will it work?  It will give patients with certain conditions the option of receiving care through a new digital service. 

Women across the country will be better heard and served under new plans set out in the renewed Women’s Health Strategy, including:

• Women to be empowered with a stronger say in their care in new trial, where they will be asked if, based on their experience, money should be withheld from providers and used for targeted improvements
• Gynaecological care streamlined to cut waiting lists and ensure faster access for conditions like endometriosis and fibroids
• New reforms to tackle outdated and misogynistic practices around pain relief.

On 16 April The King’s Fund published its “Still lost in the system: the urgent need for better NHS admin” report. Its Key findings were:    

• Perceptions of NHS admin have worsened in 2025 since 2024.
• Two thirds of patients and carers (66%) have experienced at least one NHS admin problem over the past year.
• Nearly a quarter (23%) of people who used the NHS in the past 12 months received an appointment invitation after the appointment had already happened.
• 44% said that poor admin made them give up on seeking care or treatment for their condition on that occasion.

NHS admin plays a central role in shaping how people experience and perceive the NHS. These findings point to a major need for action.  

UKHSA is reminding those travelling over Spring to prepare before travelling, and to take precautions against mosquito bites. Simple steps such as using a DEET based insect repellent, covering-up skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets can greatly reduce the risk. Before travelling, the public are encouraged to check the Travel Health Pro website for the latest advice. Those who are travelling to an area where chikungunya is a risk may wish to discuss the suitability of chikungunya vaccination with a travel health clinic.

Get protected this spring with a COVID-19 vaccination

Spring COVID-19 vaccine is booking now open to those in the population most vulnerable to serious outcomes from COVID-19 and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination. From now until 30 June 2026, vaccination is being offered in England to: 

• adults aged 75 and over 
• residents in care homes for older people 
• individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed. 

Data for February/March 2026 shows our East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) had its best performance since 2021. In March 2026 the average response time for a category 2 emergency such as chest pains or a stroke was 28 minutes and 15 seconds, the fastest for nearly five years.  This improvement followed investment in new vehicles, reducing the time ambulances are off the roads for repairs, and reflected the efforts of staff across the service. The Trust has also expanded its clinical assessment service in its emergency operations centres and recruited additional clinicians to assess and treat less serious cases over the phone. About 18% of 999 calls that EEAST received were now dealt with without an ambulance being dispatched, which allowed crews to focus on the most urgent cases.

A very informative recording of our 23 March Virtual Public Meeting “Will SWF get better health services from 1^st April’s NHS changes?” is on our website at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da74zZMigwE . Chief Officers told us how NHS Essex, our Hospitals and our Mental Health Trust are changing and improving.

The new Essex-wide NHS organisation that brings together NHS planning and commissioning across the whole of Essex was launched on 1 April. NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a new chapter for health, care and partnerships across Essex that will focus on preventing illness and strengthening community and neighbourhood services. As part of the national NHS reform, NHS Essex will: 

• focus on prevention and early intervention, not just treatment 
• deliver more care in neighbourhoods and community settings 
• use data and digital tools intelligently to improve decisions and outcomes
• reduce avoidable differences in health between communities
• ensure every pound of public money delivers maximum value 

People can stay informed about the work of NHS Essex by visiting the new website www.essex.icb.nhs.uk  and signing up for regular email news updates and by visiting Essex Virtual Views, the NHS Essex online engagement community, where they can share views and help shape future NHS plans and decisions across Essex. 

Our local Hospitals’ Trust went into an “intensive recovery programme” in April after the Health Secretary said “failure has been tolerated for too long”. Our 1 April virtual meeting heard how the then Chief Executive is getting to grips with its challenges, and we hope the extra support will help get our local acute services up to scratch very soon.  We wish them well with this and will help in any way we can. Their performance in February was:

• 68.3% of patients were seen within four hours in their emergency departments against the national standard of 78%. That is 2.3% better than January. Nationally the performance was 74.1% and in East of England it was 73.3%. A revised improvement plan was introduced in March along with increased senior leadership presence in clinical areas.
• 66 minutes was the average time for ambulances to hand over patients. This compares to 45 minutes in East of England and 51 minutes nationally.
• 63.2% of patients of patients received cancer diagnosis results within 28 days, against the 79% standard. This was a slight improvement on January. Diagnostic and outpatient capacity are being increased along with short term backlog-clearing support.

RSV vaccine: all adults aged 75 and over now eligible

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of lung infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. As of 1 April 2026, RSV vaccine is available for free on the NHS via GPs and some pharmacies to:

• Adults who are aged 75 or over;
• Adults who are living in a care home for older adults;
• pregnant women (28 weeks+ pregnant) and recommended during every pregnancy to help protect newborn babies.

Publicity about Farm visits has been renewed as Spring gets underway, offering children and adults alike an enjoyable and educational day out. However, visiting a farm carries a small risk of catching infection from animals or the environment. Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and hot running water immediately after you have had contact with animals will reduce the risk of infection. Hand gels or wipes are not a substitute for washing your hands with soap and hot running water, as they do not kill all germs that you could catch from animals.

Following the simple rules below will help keep you and your children safe from infections that may be found on open farms. Pregnant women need to take particular care as infections acquired from animals can be harmful to them and their unborn baby:

• wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after you have touched animals, fences or other surfaces in animal areas

• wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating or drinking

• supervise children closely to ensure that they wash their hands thoroughly

• only eat and drink in picnic areas or cafes

• remove and clean your boots or shoes if they have become dirty or muddy and clean pushchair wheels. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards

• follow instructions and signage provided on farm sites

Things you should not do when visiting a farm:

• do not touch your face or put your fingers in your mouth while petting animals or walking around the farm

• do not allow children to put their faces close to animals

• do not eat or drink while touching animals or walking round the farm. This includes not eating sweets, crisps or chewing gum

• do not eat anything that has fallen on the floor

• do not use gels or wipes instead of washing hands with soap and water. Gels and wipes do not remove all germs you could catch from animals.

Our weekly newsletter includes everything we’ve published in the previous 7-days. Libraries provide online services and help with internet access. For welfare information and subscription to our newsletter, email swfhealthsocial@outlook.com or leave a voicemail on 01245 322079.  https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/